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Ethiopian reggae singer Solomon Yikunoamlak, in his cramped studio, grabs his guitar and reads on his last ballad, a strident call to unity in his native Tigray during a period of national uprising.
This is an unusual material for an artist who has made himself known by singing love songs, but Solomon expects this to resonate with Tiger listeners who have seen their authority weaken under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Since coming to power last year, the 42-year-old leader has eased controls in a long-time authoritarian Ethiopia and upset decades-old power arrangements.
"Today, everyone becomes an activist and everyone becomes a politician," Solomon told AFP, citing the inflamed political climate that had prevailed since Abiy took office. "It's because of the current problems."
In Mekele, the regional capital, Tigrayans complain of being scapegoated by the Prime Minister, who belongs to the Oromo ethnic group, because of the woes of Ethiopia in recent years.
The anti-Abiy sentiment in Tigray was brought to light after the killing last month of five senior government and military officials – the violence, according to Abiy, was part of a coup attempt in the state. the state of Amhara, neighbor of Tigray.
Two of the victims, including the army chief, were from Tigray. Their funeral in Mekele caused a wave of grief. People in mourning denounced Abiy as a traitor.
"There is a huge frustration here in Tigray," said Nebiyu Sehil Mikael, a writer and lecturer at Mekele University.
"There is strong opposition against the federal government."
"We are threatened"
Yet anger against Abiy was a feature of everyday life in Mekele before the troubles in June.
Tigrayans complain of a central government hostile to their interests.
Although they represent only 6% of the 100 million inhabitants of Ethiopia, Tigrayans have long been perceived as an extraordinary authority.
After overthrowing the brutal communist regime of the Derg in 1991, the Tigray People's Liberation Front, which was a rebel movement, became the most powerful political party in the ruling government coalition.
But the TPLF was undermined by several years of anti-government protests that brought Abiy to power.
He is still part of the ruling coalition, even though he was further weakened under Abiy.
Tigrayans have been dismissed from their high office and sometimes jailed for corruption and human rights violations.
Some of the people targeted by Abiy became Tiger heroes.
The clothing salesman Zayid Meles said that one of his best sellers these days was a t-shirt stating "I'm Getachew Assefa" – a reference to the powerful former head of the Tigers spies that Abiy fired the # 39, last year.
Despite being the subject of an arrest warrant, Getachew is still on the run and hiding somewhere in the region.
Zayid said the t-shirt – which includes a rendering of Getachew's face protected by a scarf, hat, and sunglbades – is a way of telling Abiy that Getachew will never be judged.
"All Tigrayans buy it," she says. "Getachew is a hero."
The Tigrayans' fears for their future outweigh other concerns about the TPLF's weaknesses in promoting democracy and fighting poverty, said Mahari Yohans, a prominent Tigrayan political commentator.
"The politics of Tigray is the politics of security," he said. "We are threatened."
Regional disunity
The situation has become so polarized that Tigrayans increasingly have the idea of secession, said Wondimu Asamnew, an Ethiopian diplomat and native of Mekele.
"It's very sad," he said. "They even started to wonder whether they belonged to the country or not."
Even though the separation is a far-fetched prospect, it is clear that tensions color everything from Tigray's Facebook posts to how they view football.
Supporters of Ethiopia's first-division club, Mekele 70 Enderta FC, were dismayed earlier this year when supporters of a rival club demolished a poster of the former Tigrayan prime minister, Meles Zenawi, during a match in Addis Ababa.
Supporters of the teams again took the pbad during a follow-up match in Mekele, which prompted the Ethiopian Football Federation to temporarily suspend the championship.
TPFL took the opportunity to support Mekele 70 Enderta F.C. in a regional case.
Party officials were on Sunday to see the club win its final game of the season at Mekele Stadium, securing the league title.
While jubilant fans crowded the city squares and unleashed fireworks late into the night, Twitter posts congratulated the team for its triumph and overcoming that. a user called a "corrupt" federation that "tried to deny it".
For some Mekele fans, however, the politicization of football was too much.
"The so-called politicians must focus on their politics," said Asmelash Nigus. "It would be better if they do not get involved in football."
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